1 Corinthians 15:27-28

"For 'God has put all things in subjection under his feet.' But when it says, 'all things are put in subjection,' it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all."

Christ is always victorious. He is the supreme ruler of all that has been created. If something is, it is subject to Him. And yet, even He is in subjection to the Father. Our world is in rebellion. Christians are often in rebellion. I have a deeply rooted rebellious strain in my heart. But we are all all under Christ.

The Father put the Son over us all. We may buck against this. We may deny it, but it is reality. The stars, the moon, and all heavenly bodies; the trees, the wind, and the clouds; the whales, the bears, and the insects—they all praise God. They are in subjection. One day all people shall recognize God’s absolute authority. And finally, death itself will be in subjection.

If this is Jesus’ position, who am I? What right do I have to do as I please? How can I call His actions into question? I am small; I have no right to act independently; I can ask questions, but I must not question.

1 Corinthians 15:24-26

"Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

Death has been called many things: a predator, a friend, a relief, a mercy, a fearful unknown, the great equalizer. Here, the Bible calls death an enemy. Death was not part of God’s original design for humanity. It was the consequence that God warned would come if Adam disobeyed. Sin put man at odds with God, and death is part of the terrible baggage that comes with enmity with God.

Thankfully, the one man, Jesus has already broken the power of death, bringing spiritual life to those who trust in Him. But people still die, and many do so without even knowing the spiritual life that they could have had in Christ. There will, however, be a time when death is destroyed. After Jesus crushes all other rebellion, He will permanently the last remnant of disobedience—death.

I would get what I deserved if I got death. But Christ died so that I would not have to die, and now I will never know spiritual death. If it was my sin an disobedience that took Jesus to the cross and if sin and the accompanying death puts me in opposition to God, how can I continue to sin.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ."

One man made one choice, to disobey God. Pridefully, Adam chose to elevate Himself to the position of judge of good and evil even though the consequences for doing so had already been explained to him, Adam decided that it was alright for him to do what God told him never to do. Because of Adam’s sinful choice, all men are spiritually dead, and we will all die physically. Why should we suffer for Adam’s decision? Adam was our federal head. We were in Adam, and when he sinned, we sinned.

But there is another man—Jesus Christ. And through him came not death but resurrection from the dead. Adam’s choice to disobey God is daily killing us all. Jesus’ choice to be obedient unto death is daily giving life. He gives us spiritual life, and will upon His return grant an unending, non-decaying, incorruptible physical life.

This new life is previewed by the One who is already living it. Jesus is the first to be raised unto this kind of life. And at His second coming, all those who are His will be physically raised unto this new life that He lives already.

How then shall I live? I should recognize the devastating and far reaching consequences of my sins. Sin is a merciless killer! My sin effects more people than I can imagine and for a longer time than I can imagine. Knowing this, I must flee from sin. Instead, I must choose life. I choose to come to Him who is life, who will ever-live, and who will grant that His own live with Him.

1 Corinthians 15:16-19

"For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied."

Christianity is nothing if Christ did not raise from the dead.

Pascal’s Wager asserts that it’s reasonable to believe in the gospel because if it’s true and you don’t accept it, you will spend eternity in Hell. But if it’s false and you have accepted it, then you have lost nothing. Those who make that assertion are generally well meaning, but the Bible never presents the decision to follow Christ as a well thought out insurance policy.

Pascal's assertion is that "if Christ has not been raised" then a person will be fine be fine either way, whether he is believing or not believing. Paul's assertion is that if we have hope only in this life and that if our trust is in a dead Christ then "we are of all people most to be pitied."

If our hope in Christ is only good during this life, then it is no good. What a waste our life would be if we spent it looking forward to something that was never to come.

How then shall I live? I shall live with a confident hope, knowing that my hope is well founded. Even those who now deny it will eventually give glory to the risen Christ. Jesus triumphantly conquered death, and those who follow Him shall not be pitied. It is for me to doubtlessly follow the one who truly rose from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:12-15

"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised."

The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead is not only an indisputable reality; it is an indispensable reality. Without the resurrection, Christianity is a cruel farce, and Christians are pathetically trusting in the worthless, empty hope of life beyond death. Without the resurrection, the apostles were a band of liars, and I am a liar too.

How then shall I live? I shall live confidently trusting that the resurrection did happen (as later verses reinforce). I shall not give an inch on this very important doctrine. I shall speak truth and rejoice in the reality that I am trusting in a risen savior.

1 Corinthians 15:10-11

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed."

All the credit goes to God. If there is anything good that is done by the Christian, it is because of God’s work in his life. Even if you have done a lot, God is the one empowering you to do it.

Paul saw and did much. And yet Paul pointed the attention away from himself and toward God. God was the one who put the desire to minister in his heart, and God was the one that empowered him to act.

How then shall I live? I shall live like it all depends on God, for it does. I must depend on Him, and after He acts, I must praise Him.

1 Corinthians 15:8-9

"Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God."

Although the previous verses’ testimony of so many people seeing Jesus alive after being put to death would be enough to convince one that Jesus did indeed rise from the grave, Paul goes the extra step of adding his personal testimony. Paul wasn’t merely sharing second hand knowledge. He saw the risen Christ with his own eyes.

This was a revolutionary experience for Paul. He had been trying to stamp out those who followed Jesus, but after seeing him, who conquered death, he lines up with those whom he had been hunting, looking with shame upon his former actions and with thankfulness upon the grace of God.

How then should I live? Like Paul, I have great spiritual privilege. And like Paul, I should be transformed and humbled by it. To have God’s word, to have God’s Spirit working in my heart, to have so many encouraging me to do right, and to have people praying for me—I could easily pervert God’s gracious gifts into a cause for pride or boasting. But how can I look down on one who is a sinner when I am a sinner. I would be no better than the worst had God not done for me what I do not deserve.

1 Corinthians 15:5-7

"And that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles."

Jesus’ literal, physical resurrection is an indisputable reality. And his physical victory over death reflects his equally commanding victory over spiritual death. The two victories were won in one sweeping act of power—the resurrection.

Jesus appeared physically to hundreds of people. And making an open show of his triumph over the grave, he demonstrated that he was not a spirit or some afterthought that empowers his followers. He is alive. The payment for sin was accepted. The wrath of God has been satisfied.

How then should I live? I should live knowing that I am following someone who is alive. I am not simply following someone’s teachings. I am not simply modeling my life after a good pattern. I am following someone with whom I have a relationship. I am following someone who sees me—who walks with me. How important it is that I live with this reality before me. It is empowering, and it is delightful.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,"

To the one who has not embraced the truth of the gospel, it must seem a very strange thing that someone’s death and the events following his death would be the object of so many people’s delight thousands of years later. Even more confusing must be the fact that the one who died is dearly loved by those who celebrate the events following His death.

How can I celebrate the fact that Jesus died when I love him? How can I celebrate his vicious torture, his cruel pitiless death, his being forsaken by the Father, his lifeless body being placed in a tomb to rot and turn to dust? I celebrate these things because they were not what they seemed to be at the time.

I celebrate his torture not because I delight in his suffering but because he suffered in my place. I celebrate His death because of what it accomplished—victory over death. I celebrate his being forsaken because it keeps me from ever being forsaken. And I celebrate His being place in a tomb to rot because He didn’t rot. He conquered death before His physical body saw any corruption.

The gospel—Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection—were taught by Paul to the Corinthians. And he taught in a way that reflected its importance. All of these other things that Paul addresses in this book are important, but they pale before the importance of the gospel itself.

This priority must be reflected in our own work and ministry too.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain."

Moving on from the subject of spiritual gifts, the focus of the book shifts to the gospel. The gospel is surprisingly simple—simple enough that a child can believe and be an example of saving faith for adults. But the gospel is also unbelievably complex—complex enough that adults who study it their whole lives never fully plumb the depths.

We typically think of the gospel as something that should be shared with unbelievers for evangelistic purposes. While this is certainly a proper use of the gospel, the value of the gospel continues well past evangelism. In this chapter, Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers of the gospel that was already preached to them. It can be argued that he does this so that they will clearly share the gospel with others. However, even this first verse seems to indicate that there is value to the gospel for the Christian beyond what he can share with others. The gospel is that truth “in which you stand.”

The gospel is my firm belief, my creed. It is my source of strength, my confidence in uncertainty. It is my life, my hope for the future. It is my motivation for loving, my example of extreme sacrifice. It is the only way to God. I need to be reminded of the gospel’s importance. And remembering its importance, I need to be reminded of what the gospel is.

Not only is the gospel that in which we trust. It is that which has, is, and will transform us—"by which you are being saved." Here, the focus is on the present continuing results of the gospel in our lives. Positionally, we are the same, but practically, there is definite growth.

Both our growth and our confidence is based on the reality of God's work in us and our holding fast to that truth.

1 Corinthians 14:39-40

"So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order."

God has set up certain restrictions we must abide by when we exercise the gifts that He gives us. Prophecy (the proclamation of truth—not necessarily telling future events) more naturally lends itself building people up as long as it is done one by one. Therefore, we should “desire to prophesy.”

Tongues speaking, on the other hand, requires the presence of an interpreter for the church to benefit. Additionally, only two or three people can do it in a service. Scripture puts these guidelines on the gift, but they are ignored by most modern day, so-called tongues speakers. I can scripturally forbid that kind of tongues speaking.

But while I believe that the gift of tongues is not for today and while I don’t believe the modern use of tongues is ever genuine nor would I allow it in my own church, I cannot unilaterally forbid it. This passage specifically commands me “not [to] forbid speaking in tongues.”

However God has gifted you to serve Him, when you use your gift publicly your service should clearly glorify God. In order for this to happen, there needs to be a decency and an orderliness about your ministry. You should communicate clearly and carefully. Your ministry should never be showy nor distract from the message. And the message must be true—in agreement with the Bible. God gifts people in different ways, but it is all for His glory.

1 Corinthians 14:36-38

"Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized."

The man who communicates God’s truth is not the author of that truth, he is a vessel through which that truth flows. God did not use me or you to write the Bible and even those whom He used to write the Bible didn’t write their own ideas. They communicated what God directed them to write. Therefore, the one who communicates truth is subject to truth, that is the Bible. What I say must agree with the Bible.

Only arrogance could motivate me to assume that I get to decide what I say or that I am the only one who can communicate God’s truth. Just as it was arrogance that motivated some Corinthian believers to assume their prophecies were correct even when they contradicted previously revealed truth.

My words must be ruled by the word of God. If I reject God’s word, I must be rejected.

1 Corinthians 14:33b-35

"As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church."

What does it mean that “women . . . are not permitted to speak in church”? If we take these two and a half verses in isolation, they seem to indicate that women are not permitted to say anything at all in church services. But that cannot be true because chapter eleven, when dealing with head coverings, puts guidelines on how women are to pray and prophecy in church. So in what sense should women “keep silent in the churches”?

I believe that the key to understanding the prohibition lies in the immediately preceding verses. The previous verses addressed how to keep prophets accountable. If there was a prophecy that contradicted revealed truth, the others were to call the contradictory prophecy and prophet into question. I submit that the restriction forbidding women to speak applies specifically to this necessary challenging of contradictory prophecy.

If a woman believed that what was being asserted as truth was really false, she was not to publicly call it into question. Instead she was to ask her husband at home. Notice how the prohibition is linked with the need to be in submission: "they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission." It is possible to converse, pray, or explain submissively. But challenging an assertion is not usually an act of submission.

This fits perfectly with the likelihood that the prohibition was a prohibition from publicly challenging men. Perhaps this was due to the cultural realization that it would have shamed a man to be corrected by a woman. Whatever the motivation, it frees women to participate in church while clarifying that everything should be done in a way that recognizes and respects authority.

1 Corinthians 14:29-32

"Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace."

A call for accuracy of message is added here to the call for clarity of speech. Avoiding confusion by speaking clearly is not enough. We must also avoid confusion by speaking a unified, truthful message.

As with tongues, prophecy must be done by individuals one at a time. But unlike tongues the number of believers who can share God’s truth (i.e. prophecy) is not limited. No believer is forbidden from declaring truth. He must simply wait his turn to do so. While you wait, you have the opportunity to be blessed by others.

While you are waiting your turn or even if you are listening without a message, you must pay attention to what is being said. You must compare what is said to revealed truth. The one who proclaims God’s message isn’t free to say whatever he wants. His message must be subjected to the scrutiny of the Bible. If he claims that God wants you to do a particular thing or act a particular way, the directive must be in agreement with God’s word. If it isn’t, the message is to be rejected. God doesn’t contradict Himself.

1 Corinthians 14:26-28

"What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God."

Everything done in a church service should have a purpose. The overarching purpose, not explicitly mentioned here, is the glory of God. However, the purpose drawn attention to in this chapter is for building up, the growth of the church—numerical growth of the church body through the conversion of unbelievers and the personal growth of individual believers as they understand more truth and walk more and more consistently with God.

In order for growth to occur, the various parts of a service must be orderly. That is not to say that churches should rigidly eradicate all vestiges of flexibility, as if flexibility were a problem. We are not directed to embrace rigid structure verses flexibility. However, Paul makes it clear that activities focused through the lens of church growth will be much more effective than a chaotic service.

The specific example is the exercise of the gift of tongues. The first century church was instructed to take turns in speaking in tongues—one speaker at a time. They were also limited to one to three people exercising the gift in a church service. This may have required some preferring of others and intentional restraint on the part of some church members. Also clearly all tongues speaking had to be interpreted. There is no instruction for how long or as to when in the service people should present "a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation." This lack of specifics probably indicates that there was room for flexibility here. But the flexibility existed within the confines of a spiritually beneficial, organized service.

Sadly, almost no Pentecostal or Charismatic groups today operate within these guidelines. Personally, I don’t believe that the gift is in operation at all. But if God were to give someone the gift of tongues, it would have to be exercised within the confines of biblical revelation so that the church would be built up and God glorified. And if this were clearly happening, I could not argue with a fellow believer.

1 Corinthians 14:23-25

"If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you."

Chaotic, disorganized gatherings do not cause people to praise God. Unbelievers who are exposed to confusing situations where truth is not clearly proclaimed do not benefit from them. If an unbeliever comes into a Christian congregation and sees Christians all speaking in different foreign languages, he will not attribute the tongues speaking to the gifting of the Holy Spirit. He will attribute it to foolishness at best and insanity at worst.

Unbelievers need to be confronted with truth. They need to hear about God’s greatness and of their standing before this great God. The secrets of each individual's heart need to be disclosed. Perhaps the exposing of a person’s heart referred to the supernatural exposure of particular hidden sins in the unbeliever’s heart to himself or others, or perhaps the exposing of a person’s heart referred to him understanding for the first time the universal, biblical truths about man’s heart.

Either way, when a tender-hearted man hears truth from God, he will recognize that he is a condemned sinner in need of a savior. And he will fall on his face, worshiping God and turning from his sin.

1 Corinthians 14:21-22

"In the Law it is written, 'By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.' Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers."

The gift of tongues is a sign for unbelievers that works two ways. In Acts, the gift helped lead many to salvation (see Acts 2). However, tongues is not a sign that universally leads unbelievers to repentance. Sadly, it is most often a sign of judgment. Despite the privilege of seeing this miraculous sign from God, most still chose to not believe.

The primary intent of the gift of tongues was never to encourage believers or to help them pray to God in a secret prayer language. The gift of tongues is a gift for the merciful condemnation of unbelievers. I say merciful because the sign ought to have lead to their conversion (and sometimes did), but it was a condemnation because most rejected the sign.

The sign of prophecy (forth-telling and foretelling), on the other hand, was a gift for believers. Believers are called to maturity of understanding. To gain that maturity, God has ordained the sharing of His truth. In the first century, prophecy (the sharing of truth from God) involved the expositing (thoroughly explaining the text in light of itself) of the Old Testament, the expositing of the ever growing New Testament, and direct revelation from God. Today, now that the Bible is complete, direct revelation is no longer necessary for our growth and maturity, but the gift of prophecy continues to be a sign for believers as they continue to learn from the exposition of the Old and New Testaments.

1 Corinthians 14:20

"Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature."

God calls believers to maturity. We treat adults and babies very differently. When I was a baby I was nursed and changed constantly. I did nothing for myself. But as an adult, I'm now expected to feed myself, clothe myself, work for my housing etc. Likewise, in spiritual adulthood, we should be able to feed ourselves. We should not expect to be bottle fed. We can't just depend on others to tell us what to think about God's Word. We must work to read God's Word for ourselves and actively let it make our thinking spiritually mature. We should think maturely, and when we worship, we should worship with our minds engaged.

Paradoxically, part of being a mature believer is becoming an infant in matters of evil. God calls believers to innocence. With regards to the experience of evil, we should be as ignorant as newborns. We should not seek to feel what sin is like. Contrary to our responsibility to understand God’s word/truth to the fullest of our abilities, we should seek to know as little as possible of sin experientially. Experts on counterfeit money do not study counterfeit bills. Instead they become so intimately familiar with true bills, that when presented with a fake they can identify it immediately. As believers we should seek after holiness so diligently, that when presented with the deceptive nature of sin we can immediately recognize and reject it, even though experientially, we know nothing of it.

1 Corinthians 14:16-19

"Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue."

The blessings that God gives us should not stop with us. We should allow His blessings to flow through us to others thereby maximizing the glory that He receives for His gracious acts in our lives. If you were to tell me an exiting story of God’s goodness in your life, you would need to speak to me in English, if you want me to thank God with you. Otherwise, your words are completely lost on me, and I am not encouraged by your testimony at all.

This is not to say that the gift of tongues was worthless. Paul spoke in tongues and was glad for the gift. But he recognized its place—that it needed to be interpreted. If the unknown spoken language was not interpretable, Paul spoke in a language that could be understood by the hearers.

Five understandable words spoken to you, such as “God’s Son died for you,” are better than a thousand words that seem to be nonsense to you. For example: Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ' ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Unless you know Koine Greek, the previous sentence is meaningless. But translate it, and you will know it to be John 3:16. The problem is not with the words but with the need for understanding.

1 Corinthians 14:13-15

"Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also."

The Corinthian believers who were blessed with the gift of tongues could not use the gift however they pleased. If they were going to speak in tongues, they needed to have an interpreter. It wasn’t enough to be blessed by God. They needed to let God’s gift to them keep on blessing others by using it in the right way so others could understand what they were saying.

We need to do the right things, the right way, for the right reasons. We cannot put our brains on autopilot during prayer. We need to engage our minds and emotions when addressing the King of the Universe. When we pray and when we sing (which Luther referred to as type of prayer), we need to worship in a self-aware, God-aware understanding thankfulness. This will bring us and others closer to God.

1 Corinthians 14:6-12

"Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church."

In what wonderful condition our churches would be if everyone in them was “eager for manifestations of the Spirit.” Too often other less important pursuits occupy our affections. How different our churches would be if every member would daily seek the mind of God through prayer and daily would allow the Holy Spirit to teach and discipline him as He manifests Himself to us through God's Word. We would do well to copy the Corinthian’s desire for evidences of the Spirit’s work and power in our lives.

And we would do well to use what the Holy Spirit teaches us to actively strive to build up the church! These verse emphasize the need for whatever spiritual ministry we are given to be for the “building up [of] the church.” If something does not build up the church it cannot be called ministry and quite often it should be abandoned. Unintelligible, untranslated speech doesn’t communicate anything to others; it’s like “speaking into the air.” That kind of so-called ministry does not build up the church and is not really ministry at all.

1 Corinthians 14:3-5

"On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their up-building and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up."

God attributes greater value to selfless ministry than to self-absorbed indulgence. We do need to take time for personal refreshment and enrichment, but personal development should lead to the ability to glorify God better through ministry in His church. For this reason, the gift of tongues, if not interpreted, was inferior to the ministry of prophesy --the proclamation of truth.

When sharing God's truth with someone you can see God mature them, help them remain faithful, or comfort them when they are hurting. But if you talk to someone in a language they don't understand, the words are worthless. You are no help to them at all. How then shall we love? How then shall we minister? We must minister through words people can understand.

This is not to say that tongues were worthless. They had a purpose, but the gift had to be used the right way for it to fulfill its purpose.

1 Corinthians 14:1-2

"Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit."

Remembering that the desire for and the use of spiritual gifts should be motivated by selfless love, Paul draws the attention of the Corinthian believers to consider the use of the most coveted gift and most abused gift in that congregation.

Everyone wanted to speak in tongues. Admittedly, it's a pretty cool gift. I'd like to just head over to Romania and start proclaiming God's love in Romanian right away without any study, and when I meet a Hungarian, immediately be able to give him the gospel in Hungarian (the language my wife believes sounds like alien—as in little green men from Mars --alien). That would be a wonderful gift. But verse two indicates that the gift of tongues wasn't always used in a way that God intended the gift to be used.

Verse two is where most cessationists (those who believe that the gift of tongues was a temporary gift for specific miraculous time) believe that Paul is talking about something other than the true gift of tongues. Here tongues seems to be not a human language but a mystical-heavenly language.

This differs from the way the gift of tongues seems to be defined in Acts. In that book, tongues was the ability to speak an unlearned language to communicate God's message to people of a language other than one's native tongue. Whether verse 2 is speaking of a different type of the gift of tongues or of a perversion of the true gift, at the very least, the gift was being misused.

Later in this chapter we will see that the presence of at least an interpreter is still required by scripture even if the gift of tongues is a heavenly language at times. Either way, the gift of tongues was not for a speaker's own benefit but for the benefit of the church. So if the Corinthian tongues speakers were speaking to God alone and no one understood them, they were not exercising the gift as it was intended.

1 Corinthians 14

Finally, I have reached the most controversial of these three chapters dealing with spiritual gifts—the tongues chapter. I have heard several different attempts to explain this fourteenth chapter. None of them have fully satisfied me.

1. Those who believe tongues have ceased, argue that the word tongue or tongues is used three different ways in this chapter (spoken languages, heavenly languages, and nonsense babble that is falsely believed to be a spiritual gift), but this explanation offers no textual indication of which way was used when, and this interpretation seems to force fore-drawn conclusions on the text.

2. Another cessationist view claims that there is a textual distinction between the way Paul uses "tongue" and "tongues," the first being a mystical language—that is really a perversion of the true gift, and the second being the true New Testament gift, the supernatural ability to speak in a foreign language without study. This interpretation makes a bit more sense, but it fails to work consistently throughout this chapter and much less through the entirety of the New Testament.

3. A common non-cessationist's view to consider holds that all of the occurrences of the terms tongue and tongues speak mostly of the mystical language, but occasionally speak of a foreign language. This view also suffers from a lack of consistency, and unfortunately those who take this view most commonly, although not exclusively, abandon the guidelines in this chapter for use of the gift.

The best understanding of the chapter comes from a consideration of its meaning within the context of chapters twelve and thirteen. In chapter twelve, God reveals that He gifts people in many different ways and that we should be content with the gift that God gives us, using it to selflessly serve the church. Chapter thirteen explains why we should use our gifts to selflessly serve—the spiritually meaningful motivation of love. Now in chapter fourteen, the Bible addresses a specific application of this truth, indicating that the exercise of our spiritual gift in the church should benefit others. If we focus on this truth and always strive to edify the believers with our gifts, then wrangling about what tongues is becomes much less of an issue. If it can be used in obedience to Scripture and for the edification of the saints, then we must not forbid it, but if it is not used in obedience to the scriptures and it does not build of the Saints then it must be abandoned.

1 Corinthians 13:9-13

"For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Our knowledge and understanding are not complete. But God has given us all we need to know to be rightly related to Him at this time. Though His word, we know quite a lot about God, but we do not know everything. We have many questions because God's Word contains many paradoxes. For now, these mysteries remain, but there will be a time when our understanding of God will go far beyond its current level.

Then we will have full knowledge. When we look at a child's limited understanding of the world, it often results in chuckles and smiles for us. Someday when we are face to face with our Savior, we will look back on our limited understanding and think "I knew nothing at all." And if we, in heaven, were to look upon our desire for gifts that would increase our influence, we would realize that we were pursuing the wrong thing. We should have been pursuing things that last. Faith lasts; hope lasts; love lasts. Let's pursue what is best—love.

1 Corinthians 13:8

"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away."

Those who enjoy history respect the achievements of the past, considering the effects and implications the past has on us today. But historians don’t care about everything that ever happened. They won’t be clamoring to soak up the minutia of my blogs nor do they care much about my extended family. Likewise, when eternity comes, there will be some things that abide and some things that will fall from our consideration as dust falls from a piece of clothing once shaken before entering a house.

When this world is not as it is now, when we have left the realm of the temporal and entered the eternal, love will still remain. God’s choice to love is what brought Christ to earth to die. And His love shall endure throughout all eternity.

When eternity comes, your advancement and influence will be gone forever. But love will never end. What is most important to you know: clout, wealth, personal achievement, or distinction? Or are your desires and priorities eternal in nature? If you value eternity, love should motivate all your actions.

1 Corinthians 13:6-7

"It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Some in the world rejoice at wrongdoing because they want to see evil triumph. No true Christian desires this. But how would you react if you knew that your pastor or some other prominent church member was wrongly accused of something? Would you rejoice at your newfound opportunity for personal advancement? If so, you do not love him as you should and are worthless. You should rejoice that the truth is known, regardless of the effect it has on your personal aspirations.

Neither should you wait with eager anticipation for that truthful accusation of someone else that will propel you forward. Real problems need to be addressed and dealt with, but we shouldn’t ever want to see someone fall. We should love others so much that we are willing to suffer wrong, enduring it, hoping and believing that the people who wrong us are growing and will realize their error. All the while we are patient and kind, loving them in every way possible.

My mother is a wonderful example of this to me. When she was helping someone who was making some selfish and self-destructive choices, I encouraged her to cut the person off. I will never forget my mother’s response. She said “I just thought that (s)he would make the right choice this time.” At the time, I thought “How foolish. That person is never going to make the right choice.” Now I think, “How loving. My mother saw bore and endured many things from that person, hoping and believing that (s)he would come to walk in the truth.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful."

These verses have broad, sweeping implications for the lives of all believers. However, remembering that the larger context of this chapter is the subject of spiritual gifts helps us apply these verses in a few specific ways.

We are all equal in God’s sight, but we are not equal in each other’s sight. Though there are no more important spiritual gifts, some people are more clearly gifted or perhaps gifted in more ways than others.

We should love those who seem to be more gifted than we are. You may look at a clearly gifted individual and wish that you had his gifts. You may treat him rudely because you wish you had the gifts that he has. You are resentful, and you are failing to love. You should rejoice and give thanks that God has so gifted your brother.

We should also love those who seem to be less gifted than we are. You may be quite happy with the gifts God has given you, but you may think of other believers as inferior because of what they don’t have. Perhaps you are short tempered when dealing with people who can’t do what you do or can’t do it as quickly. Perhaps you aren’t willing to consider other people’s opinions because you think that your way is always better or that they couldn’t possibly come up with a good idea. Perhaps you are irritable because you always have to deal with what you view as other people’s incompetence. You are have an over-inflated view of yourself, and you are failing to love.

1 Corinthians 13:3

"If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."

God is not interested in disinterested benevolence. Actions alone are incomplete, they need to be based on right motivations. The greatest of sacrifices are hollow without love. What would be your motivation to sacrifice if it were not love? You might be motivated by a desire to be repaid for your sacrifice, a desire to be thought well of by other people, or a desire to simply end you life. All of these reasons are selfish, and selfish sacrifice does not honor the Lord. There are good reasons to sacrifice, in addition to love. But if these reasons are devoid of love, they will not honor the Lord.

1 Corinthians 13:1-2

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."

Love is the more excellent way that the last chapter alluded to. Love is more important than any or all of the spiritual gifts that the Corinthian believers has clamored for. People in the church then and now foolishly want recognition, prominence, and influence, and they earnestly desire spiritual gifts that will give them these things. But if they wanted what God wants for them, they would desire love and not a more important position.

Any spiritual gift exercised without love is worthless. We give lip service to this truth but we fail to understand the depth of this reality. A pastor who preaches faithfully for thirty-five years, never committing a moral sin or violating any code of ethics, if he did not love his people, his ministry was nothing. A seminary professor who has unpacked weighty truths and prepared countless students to accurately handle God’s word, if his teaching was not motivated by love, it was a waste of his time. A Christian (perhaps a missionary like me) who sees God’s power and faithfulness in life and comes to understand God’s trustworthiness, trusting that he can do anything, if his faith is loveless, he is nothing.

While we know that these things are true, there is something in us that still objects: they helped so many people; they did many great things; they were faithful for so many years. Yes, but they left off the greatest thing. It is love that empowers ministry and gives it meaning. If I am going to do something of value, I must first learn what it means to love.

1 Corinthians 12:31

"But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way."

The higher gifts! How can there be higher gifts for us to desire when the whole point of the passage seems to be indicating that we are all important and that there are no higher gifts? I believe that today's reader naturally assumes something about this verse that is misleading. There is nothing wrong with the verse, but our understanding of it is flawed.

Here are two other translations/paraphrases that seem to fit the context better. The first says "And yet some of you keep competing for so-called 'important' parts. But now I want to lay out a far better way for you" (The Message). The second says "So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all" (New Living Translation).

Both of these translations reflect the fact that spiritual gifts are not to be desired for selfish reasons. The Message interprets the statement as a rebuke for those who were selfishly desiring the gift(s) that they had erroneously viewed as more important, presumably because the exercising of the gift was more public. The New Living Translation takes the position that "higher" means most helpful. Therefore, you should desire gifts that will allow you to be the most help to the church that you can be.

I think that The Message's interpretation fits the context most naturally. This is what you have been doing, but there is a better way. Then we enter chapter 13, showing us that better way.

1 Corinthians 12:27-30

"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?"

The members of the church don’t just make up some nebulous cooperative body. They make up the body of Christ. This knowledge puts a new level of importance on our individually being unified members of the church. And the way that this chapter admonishes us to be unified is by recognizing that though the church is one body, it is made up of many different parts. God has given the church many different gifts, but He doesn’t give one particular gift to all people.

1 Corinthians 12:24b-26

"But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

I don’t believe that the church today attains this level of unity. Do I suffer when another suffers? Do I rejoice at the advancement of others? Or have I so misunderstood my role in the church, that I (and others with the same mindset) am so fractured that I am not acting like part of a body at all. When I stub my toe, my whole body is unhappy, and when I am given a good massage, my whole body relaxes. But when one in the church is blessed, do I have to fight jealousy? When one is suffering, am I disinterested? If I'm not unified with the other members of the church, then this is not what God intended.

God wants us to be such a part of each other’s lives that we are looked at and seem as one. Our care and involvement goes to such levels, that we are actually a single body. This is accomplished by the more gifted/honored parts of the body reaching out to those who lack, in order to lift them up. This may involve financial assistance, but I believe that it goes far deeper than that. You don’t just want their physical needs to be met, you want to see them elevated to a place of spiritual maturity, and you are so involved in seeing that happen that when they succeed, you rejoice as if you have succeeded; when they are hurt, you weep as if you have been wounded; and when they fail, you lament as if you have failed.

1 Corinthians 12:23-24

"And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it."

Our weaker or less honorable body parts are given greater care. Late last month, I strained my right knee. The pain is mostly gone, but I still favor the knee. The day it happened, I put almost no weight on the knee at all. My knee was hurt and temporarily unable to perform like the rest of my body, but I did not get rid of it. I gave it a special place of honor, allowing it time to recover from the stress of my accident.

Also, we honor parts of our body that work fine but are not to be displayed by carefully concealing them. Why go through the trouble? Why not get rid of these areas or at least throw off this sense of modesty and treat all of our body the same? Because there are certain parts that are indispensable (as the former post explored) and yet deserving of special care.

The solution is not dismemberment but special attention and greater honor for these less honorable parts. God made the church this way too. There are people in the church who lack honor. They deserve greater honor. They may take more time to help. They may need things that others can go without. But we should not push these less honorable individuals to the side, to help or work exclusively with those we believe have greater potential. Everyone in the church is important, and everyone needs to be cared for regardless of how much care they need.

1 Corinthians 12:21-22

"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.' On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable."

If you are part of the church, the church needs you. Other people may not think this, and you may not even think that you are needed, but you are. Just as you are needed so are all other people in the church. This includes physically or mentally handicapped people and people you might secretly (or not so secretly) view as beneath yourself in some way. The church would not be better off without such people.

Perhaps you have had similar thoughts. "His physical/social awkwardness is embarrassing. I wish he weren’t here." But the idea that a weak believer is disposable is grossly unbiblical. The church needs everyone God incorporates into the body. Perhaps God put someone in your church simply to shape the character of other members. If you think ill of others in the church body, you need to readjust your thinking. Those that seem less important are truly indispensable members. If you were to get rid of them, you would seriously injure or even destroy the church.

1 Corinthians 12:18-20

"But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body."

God choses what gifts to equip you with. And knowing the uselessness of a single-function church, he puts many differently gifted people together. We are different people doing different jobs, but we are one body.

Just as God knew how to properly create us, He knows how to put the church together. We should embrace our role, whatever it is, knowing that the performing our role displays God’s creative wisdom.

1 Corinthians 12:14-17

"For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?"

What would be the value of being just an eye or just an ear? You would be grotesquely incomplete. You would be incapable of doing things that God designed bodies to do.
Consider Bob, the eye. Bob is rolling down the street. You want to say hello, so you call out to him. You just wasted your breath. Bob can’t hear you, because he’s just an eye.

People are made up of many different parts. These parts each perform their own necessary function. The idea of one particular organ or appendage deciding that it is no longer part of the body is ridiculous. Such rebellion is inconceivable in the human body. But sadly, many vital parts of the church are in that kind of rebellion. They want to perform a function that they have not been given, and if they don’t get to be the part that they want to be they might leave. Their rebellion is selfish and foolish. The church needs all of it’s parts.

Has God made you the janitor at your church when you want to be the preacher? Will you leave or complain about the injustice of your being the foot when you want to be the hand? Your work as janitor is just as important as the pastor’s work. If no one does your work, people will most likely stop coming and then what use will the pastor be? This is true of nursery workers, assistant pastors, secretaries, bus drivers, youth workers, Sunday school teachers, any anyone else in the church who performs some kind of function, even if it is as simple as saying hello to visitors or having others over for fellowship. Your role in the body is important.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

I have fingers, toes, shoulders, kneecaps, tendons around my kneecaps (which have made their presence known in my recent activities), a spinal cord protected by quite a few vertebrae, elbows, eyes, ears, a nose, lips, teeth, a tongue, skin, an ankle, a liver, a heart, lungs, a thyroid, kidneys, a brain with several different mysterious sections, and many, many other parts. All of these individual parts, put together, make up my body. Though there many, many parts, they make up just one body.

Likewise, the Spirit takes people from many different social, religious, and economic backgrounds and makes one body (the church) out of them. If you gave the world’s most skilled surgeon all of the parts needed to build a human body from scratch, he wouldn’t be able to do it. Such an accomplishment would be well beyond his ability. But through the Spirit, a body of believers (equally complex) is brought together under the work of Christ.

I find this truth both fearful and wonderful. What God has done in constituting the church is wonderful because it is mind-blowing hard and shows His greatness. But the oneness of the body is also a fearful thing. In a human body, if one organ is malfunctioning, the whole body is effected. In fact, you can take one cell and let it go bad, and if it is allowed to spread, a person can die of cancer. How important then is each member’s walk with God. I am part of a whole, and I must do my part.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11

"For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."

The Spirit has complete liberty to grant whatever gifts He chooses to grant. If you know my belief concerning miraculous sign gifts—that they have stopped and are not for today—you might think my last statement to be contradictory. But I don’t feel in conflict with myself on this matter. I have an understanding from scripture that I believe is accurate and universal. However, God is not confined by my understanding of Him or by how He typically does things. He can do whatever He wants whenever He wants.

So what kind of gifts does He grant (or has he granted in the past)? I have not studied these phrases in depth. Therefore, the following definitions are in no way authoritative but are my thoughts on what these gifts might look like.

Utterance of wisdom / knowledge - these are two different gifts, but both have to do with the ability to communicate something true. God has gifted some believers with an amazing ability to communicate truth in an interesting and understandable manner.

Faith - all believers have been given the gift of saving faith. But some believers have been given a special measure of faith. For us, this gift seems to be coming through the experiences that God has been allowing to come into our lives.

Gifts of healing - the text does not specify whether the gift is the ability to heal someone or if it is the gift of personal healing from some kind of illness. Both might have been in view at the time of the book’s writing. However, I don’t believe God uses healers anymore, but I do believe that God miraculously heals people. Why else would we pray for sick people?

Working of miracles - I believe that God still does miracles and that He can use an individual as a vessel through which that miracle flows. However, I don’t believe that God is currently gifting people to work the supernatural. And yet, our lives as Christians ought to be filled with things that unbelievers can’t explain.

Prophecy - a much broader term than we think of it today. It goes beyond foretelling the future and focuses primarily on the message of truth from God for those in need. Frequently, prophecy was a call to turn from sin. In the Old Testament, it was said that people would prophecy on musical instruments. Both men and women should be declaring God’s truth in church today.

Ability to distinguish between spirits - some people trust everyone. They haven’t met someone who isn’t a great guy (until they stab them in the back later). But others are more discerning. I have met some people that seem to be able to accurately describe a person after talking with them for five minutes. My pastor seems to be this way. Early in our relationship, he kept on saying, “Joshua you are like this (and he would describe some personality trait of mine), and therefore you will need to do this.” I would think, “Yes, that’s right, but how do you know that?” Perhaps it is a special ability given to him by the Spirit.

Various kinds of tongues / interpretation of tongues - these gifts are dealt with in greater detail later. I will address them then.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

All people naturally differ by virtue of the physical and mental gifts that God has given them. This diversity is then compounded among Christians by the variety of spiritual gifts that God has given. We do not all receive the same set of gifts, neither do we all do the same work. There is great diversity among us. And yet, there is also great unity among us.

The same Spirit works in all our lives, equipping us with the gifts designed for us. We all serve the same God with the gifts that we have given. And beyond this, we actually have the same God in us, empowering us for service. And though we have many different gifts and different tasks to accomplish, the purpose of all our gifts is the same—the common good of the whole body of believers.

If you are a Christian, we have a great deal in common, but we are not the same. God has something special in store for you and you alone. Likewise, God has something for me and me alone. However, what He is doing in each of our lives goes beyond the individual and is for the benefit of others.

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says 'Jesus is accursed!' and no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit."

Those who are not believers live lives of worthlessness. They are led astray to passionately pursue things that have no value. They follow after powerless, motionless, speechless idols. They worship physical idols of wood or metal, or they worship the modern idols of our western world—success, happiness, entertainment, physical pleasure, or one or more of the many other false god’s set up in our western pantheons.

I find it interesting that they are “led astray to mute idols.” It’s not even the idols that lead them astray. The idols cannot lead anyone. They are powerless. Nevertheless people are led to them. By whom? I believe they are led to the idols by evil—by Satan and his demons, through the influence of the world system, and by their own sinful fallen nature. People are led to idols hoping for fulfillment, but they find no lasting satisfaction.

In contrast to that sad estate, a person who comes to Christ finds great fulfillment and is richly blessed in many ways. One way in which he is blessed is through spiritual gifts. What spiritual gifts God gives and how they should be exercised will be discussed later, in this and the following two chapters. But for now, God simply indicates that one who is exercising a spiritual gift will be led by the Spirit to affirm truth. One who is exercising a spiritual gift will not deny truths about Jesus’ nature; he will affirm them.

1 Corinthians 11:33-34

"So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come."

This chapter’s final words on the Lord’s Table wrap things up by addressing the subjects of unity and respect. The call for unity comes in the directive to observe the ordinance together. In the book of Ephesians, the church is described as one body with many members that are to be walking together in unity. We get a glimpse of that in these verses. The ordinance is to be observed by everyone at the same time. It is something that you all do together.

And the motivation for this unity is the respect that you have for other believers. You should not to be eating feasts in front of the hungry because, unlike most of the world, you care about the hungry, especially if they are believers. It is perhaps surprising that the respect is not for the Lord Himself. Surely that is a part of the equation. But here we see that God is keenly interested in our being rightly related to one another.

If we fail to walk in unity and respect for other believers, especially while participating in the Lord’s table, we will be judged. Our relationships with others are important to God.

1 Corinthians 11:31-32

"But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."

When we examine ourselves, God already knows what we will find. God knows what is in your heart and life that needs to be confessed, and we need to be honest with the Lord about what we find. If we perform a self-examination and fail to be honest, we might as well not examine ourselves in the first place.

If we properly examine ourselves, we will not be judged by God. However, if we fail to truly judge ourselves and are then judged by God, the judgment is better explained as discipline. God is working on us, bringing us to a point that we will be rightly and honestly related to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:27-30

"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. "

Continuing to show the importance of carefully observing the Lord’s Table, we are told to examine ourselves before participating in the Lord’s Table. Flippancy brings guilt and judgment. The good act of observing the Lord’s Table, if done the wrong way, can bring illness or even death.

With consequences that are so severe and with warnings that seem to be so frequent, one might come to the conclusion that it would be better just to abstain. Some times that is true. If you are not willing to examine yourself, you better not take communion. However, these verse are not encouraging abstinence but rather careful observance. We are told to examine ourselves and then partake.

Consider your relationship with the Lord. Is there anything between you and the Lord? Is there any anger, bitterness, envy? Are you willing to deal with it? Focus on what God has done for you, and let it effect your life and relationships. Before and as you partake, think on these things.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

"For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

God used men to write the Bible, but He breathed out all of the words. And yet, in some special way, these directives carry with them an extra weightiness beyond the rest of this letter because they were “received from the Lord.”

Further supporting the importance of this practice is the time that it was instituted—”the night when he was betrayed.” In the face of the most difficult experience of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he takes time to teach the disciples. Knowing that He was going away, He set up the means whereby all who follow after Him would remember Him pictorially in the bread and the cup. When we celebrate the Lord’s supper, we give thanks and remember his sacrificial, substitutionary death.

But Communion goes beyond mere remembrance. When the Lord’s Table is observed, the participants are actively proclaiming the Lord’s death. How important it is then to do this the right way! Worship should never be approached casually or carelessly. But remembering and proclaiming the Lord’s death should be with even greater care.

1 Corinthians 11:20-22

"When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not."

The Corinthians’ way of observing the Lord’s Table was so far off that they were told that they weren’t actually observing the Lord’s Table at all. They were coming to church, and they were eating, but they were not honoring the Lord. Their error was two-fold: 1) they were simply eating. They weren’t properly remembering the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. 2) And they were selfishly eating their own meal without any thought of what other people had to eat.

How can you possibly remember the Lord and His sacrifice with a large meal that you eat around hungry believers who have nothing? How can you keep everything to yourself, when Jesus gave everything He had for you? To act this way is to "despise the church of God." You don’t love them, you despise them. Rather than edifying, the Corinthians’ aberrant behavior was humiliating the poorer believers in the congregation. And Paul had nothing positive to say to them about what they were doing.

So how might this apply to me? After all, all the churches I’ve ever attended observe the Lord’s Table with far less than you would eat at a meal. Furthermore, when we have a large meal, everyone almost always has access to the same amount. So are we without fault here? Have we corrected all the mistakes the Corinthians were making at the Lord’s Table? I think that we have both corrected the first mistake but made the second mistakes but in a more subtle (though slightly less damaging) way.

All churches I have attended treat Communion with great respect. Sometimes entire services are devoted to the Lord’s Table, and whenever we partake of the elements, we are careful to remember the Lord’s death. So in this matter, I believe that we have corrected the Corinthians’ mistake.

But our obedience is less complete in the irradiation of our selfishness. Today if we have meals at church in America, we don’t eat in front of hungry people. But this may be partially due to the fact that our churches tend to be divided along economic lines. Many wealthy churches have no one who lacks in their congregation. I say that this is slightly less damaging because you are not humiliating those who are less privileged. In fact, if someone came into a church who lacked, he would probably be able to eat like everyone else. However, some of our churches have become so economically divided from one another, that the poor person wouldn’t even consider going to the church in the first place. This is a problem.

1 Corinthians 11:17-19

"But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized."

How pitiful it would be for a Christian to faithfully go to church week after week, even multiple times a week and for God to say to him, "Your going to church was a waste of time," or perhaps closer to the text, "Your going to church hurt your walk with Me." Such a statement would be devastating, but the seriousness of these instructions warrants the severity of the warning.

The Corinthians were observing the Lord’s Table (or communion) in a fashion that was so damaging that it made church attendance counterproductive. Before addressing the specific problems with their observance of the Lord’s Table, Paul shows us the foundational problem—divisions among the believers.

Verse eighteen says, "when you come together as a church, . . . there are divisions among you." They were coming together, and yet they were not together. The divisions mentioned in earlier chapters were among factions within the church. Groups of believers had aligned themselves with this or that person. But here the divisions are social and economic. People were allowing what they had to make a clear distinction between them and their fellow believers.

There are some distinctions that are natural and beneficial. For example, there are some people in churches who passionately follow after God. When they come to church, they sing from their heart, and throughout the week you can see that God has done something special and humanly unexplainable in their lives. Other people in churches profess to know God, but when you look at their lives, you cannot see anything different in their lives from the life of an unbeliever. That kind of natural distinction must be recognized because it helps us know how to better minister to the different types of people in our church. However, separating believers on the basis of something as spiritually irrelevant as economic status, is in no way beneficial. In fact, those kind of distinctions can make church attendance worthless.

1 Corinthians 11:16

"If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God."

Does this mean 1) if some people don’t agree, don’t be contentious about this issue, just let it be, or does this mean 2) don’t be contentious about this issue, simply obey? I think that the second interpretation is intention of the statement, but I also believe that the first is true.

The text seems to be urging the people not to resist obeying. We might say "This is our practice regarding head coverings; it is not our practice to be contentious, so don’t be." That being said, if some disagree (as most do), I should not be contentious either. Whether or not others should do this or that is not as important to me as doing right personally. God does not hold me accountable for other people’s choices; He holds me accountable for my choices.

1 Corinthians 11:13-15

"Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering."

This is the point where many people discussing the issue of head coverings, mistakenly assert that the hair is the covering and that coverings on top of the hair are not needed, citing "her hair is given to her for a covering." However, the fact that God gave women hair for a covering is being used here to support the assertion that they ought to put something over their hair during public worship.

We might restate it this way, "See, it is natural for wives to wear a head covering when they pray. Look at the way men and women are made. It's natural and beautiful for women to have longer hair than men. God designed women to be this way, and the design points to the fact that they should wear a covering in public worship."

1 Corinthians 11:10-12

That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.

Men have a strong inclination to be corrupted by power and authority. This tendency can easily lead an authority figure to take advantage of those under his leadership. Caring more for his personal comfort than the wellbeing of those he leads a boss, government official, pastor, or husband can think of himself as important and others as unimportant—after all he is the one who makes the decisions. God makes it clear in these verses that we are equal before Him.

Though women were made for men, men would not be around without women. We need each other. The man who thinks himself better than women because of what the Bible says about men and women in not treating Scripture properly. God made us so that we needed each other and more importantly He made us so that we need Him. God is the superior one. He is the creator and sustainer.

1 Corinthians 11:7-9

"For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man."

We need to acknowledge the truth and give heed to it, even if it flies in the face of our culture. Husband and wife are equals before God, our culture accepts this, and later verses testify to this truth. But these verses show us that equal does not necessarily mean the same. God had different reasons for creating men and women, and because of God’s design, men and women have different roles and find deeper fulfillment in doing what each was designed for.

Recognizing man’s need, God created woman for man. She was designed to complement or complete him. In a marriage relationship a woman who supports her husband publicly and privately does bring glory to her husband. The husband also has a responsibility to make the wife better by leading her in the right direction, but man’s primary responsibility is to glorify God. This is the wife’s responsibility too, but one of the main ways she does this by honoring her husband.

The wife wearing a head covering is a symbol of her recognition of this relationship. The symbol is important, but the underlying relationship and heart attitude is far more important.

1 Corinthians 11:4-6

"Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head."

Men should never wear head coverings in worship, to do so dishonors Christ. But when women worship publicly, they should wear a head coverings to honor their husbands. The head covering is not the hair itself but some form of covering that goes over the hair—this much textually is indisputable. What is fairly disputed, however, is if the practice is still normative today. I believe that it is, and I will consider the scriptural reasoning further as I work through the next several verses.

This passage of scripture seems so clear to me, but not everyone has come to the same conclusion. In fact, I am in the minority among today's conservative Bible believers. Therefore, it is important for me to note that disagreement on this issue is not a source contention. It is also important to note that the external form, while important, is not as important as the underlying imperative for the husband and wife to be properly related to one another before God.

1 Corinthians 11:3

"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God."

This verse introduces the issue of head coverings, a sign of submission, by indicating that submission is necessary. We all are in some kind of leadership role—whether by human appointment, divine design, or simply by practical default. And in that leadership role, we have people following us.

The husband, realizing the headship he has in the marriage relationship, could easily think that he is better than the wife. But the fact that one is in a position of leadership or authority over another does not necessarily indicate superiority. This is the main point of the verse, but I think that it is an important truth that can legitimately be supported by the verse. The main point is simply to clarify the the position of husband, wife and God.

1 Corinthians 11:2

"Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you."

It is encouraging that God would move the author to commend the Corinthians for "maintain[ing] the traditions." The Corinthian believers had so many problems: moral failures, idolatry, distortion of God's ordinances, and selfish, loveless use of spiritual giftedness. And yet, they are commended.

It is not wise to compare yourself with others to make yourself appear better. But it is comforting to know that God continued to work with these people who would seem to have more problems than most of our churches. God's mercy lead kept Him from abandoning these unworthy vessels. Instead of leaving them to themselves, God corrected them.

1 Corinthians 11:1

"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."

I do not think that I would be comfortable ever making this statement myself. But the undeniable fact is that we are imitators by nature, and we will be imitated by others whether we ask for it or not. Therefore, we ought to endeavor to make our lives worth imitating. And the only that we can do that is by imitating Christ.

But to imitate Christ, we must first know what He is like. So learn of Christ. See Him foreshadowed in the Old Testament. Watch Him minister in flesh in the gospels. Listen to people testify of Him in the book of Acts. Understand more of what He did through the epistles. And learn what He will do in the future in the book of Revelation.

And as you learn more about Him, as you draw into a closer relationship with Him, be like Him. That doesn't mean that we gather twelve disciples and travel around the holy land performing miracles. It means that we pattern our manner of behavior after His character. We emulate His sacrificial love, His patient endurance, and His many other qualities (all of which are honorable).

If we do this, it will be a good thing when people pattern their lives after our own.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved."

Talk about your universal principles! All of my actions should be done to the glory of God. Should I eat that meat, drink that beverage, watch that TV show, go to that place, say that thing? Does it bring glory to God? Does it point to the excellency of His name? If so, then I can do it.

The surrounding verses address our responsibility to avoid offending people. Avoiding offense should glorify God. But verse thirty-one clarifies that avoiding offense and being people pleaser are two very different things. There is a way to avoid offending people that is motivated by a desire for them to think better of you, but that is seeking your own advantage and does not glorify God.

We should be aware of personal and cultural differences, and seeking the good of others, we should be sensitive to those differences. But there are some things in the Christian's message that are going to offend people (all people), and there is no getting around it. Avoiding offense by being unfaithful to the truth does not glorify God, but neither does offending people unnecessarily. If people are offended, they should be offended by the truth and not by you, your presentation of the truth, or your selfish desire for advancement.

1 Corinthians 10:24-30

"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For 'the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.' If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, 'This has been offered in sacrifice,' then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?"

Christian liberty is not about Christians being allowed to do whatever they want to do. Doing what you want is seeking your own good (or at least your own perceived good). That is what is natural, but it isn't Christian liberty. Christian liberty involves your willingness to seek the good of your neighbor instead of your own good.

Consider the inspired example. There is nothing wrong with eating any meat even if it was formerly involved in a temple sacrifice. If someone gives you some meat, you are allowed to eat it without any concern about its origin. But if you are with someone else and they are bothered by the idea of eating meat once offered to idols, you should not eat it. "But why should I do that? I am right. He is wrong." Yes, but you want to do him good. Abstaining is the right thing to do.

What are the universal principles?

1. What you want isn't the most important thing.
   
2. It might be right for you to temporarily surrender a perfectly acceptable practice for the good of another.
3. Offending the conscience of another Christian can damage them.
4. Surrendering your rights is not the same thing as allowing your conscience to be manipulated.
5. While you should seek to avoid offending individuals, you shouldn't let public opinion rule over you.
   

1 Corinthians 10:23

"'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up."

All things are lawful? What!? The statement seems completely preposterous following the stern warning of the previous verses not to commit idolatry. Does this mean then that idolatry is lawful? Absolutely not! The prohibition in the previous verses was for the Christian not to participate in the pagan ceremonies, which often involved eating meat. That is idolatrous demon worship.

This verse begins a clarification that the meat itself is not the issue. The meat is nothing. In fact, that same meat offered to idols (that was wrong for the Christian to eat in the ceremony) can be resold in the meat market, and Christian can eat it without shame. There are no mystical powers that Satan has on meat or any other object. If you are not involved in the idolatry, it is lawful to eat.

But there is another consideration beyond lawfulness. The next verses will further develop the concept that we are to engage in lawful practices that help others by making them better, stronger Christians. When determining whether or not engage in a certain activity, I should not merely ask myself if it is alright for me to do the activity. I must consider if engaging in the lawful activity will be good for others. Far from granting the Christian a license to do whatever he wants, this verse calls us to greater accountability for our actions.

1 Corinthians 10:22

"Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?"

The first question warns us not to be spiritually unfaithful, knowing that our God is a righteously jealous God. The second question is a natural continuation of the warning in the first question. The warning calls us to realize that if we make God jealous, we are making the only all-powerful sovereign of the universe jealous. We are not stronger then he, so we should not be unfaithful.

Jealousy—at first it seems out of character for God. How can jealousy ever be right? It can be right if it is without sin. We are God's and God is willing to fight for us. In my mind it is like a husband who thwarts the efforts of a man who would steal his wife. We look at jealousy and think of the distrust and unnecessary anger of an insecure husband. But jealousy is not that way when God is involved. God is perfectly secure, He simply wishes to protect that which is His—namely you. It is for your good and His glory that He is jealous for you. 

1 Corinthians 10:18-21

"Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons."

All sin is bad, but for the Christian to participate in idolatry is particularly heinous. In our devotional time, my wife and I are currently reading in Judges. Over and over the people of Israel turned from the one true God and worshiped idols, and over and over God punished them for it. Why? Why make such a big deal about the matter? Why record it for countless others to read? Why does it matter?

To worship false gods is horrible, but to know the true God to worship Him and then to worship the false gods is even worse. How can one align himself with the sovereign of the universe, claiming to have a close personal relationship with Him, if he also worships demons? It is incomprehensible. Worship of the living God and worship of the no-god idols are mutually exclusive.

Today, most of the western world does not have figurines to which they sacrifice, pray, and show honor. Traditional idol worship still goes on in the world, but most idol worship has left what we generally think of as idolatry and has become more subtle. Instead of brass, gold, and wood figurines, we have set our self-will, desires, and passions up as modern day idols. This more sophisticated method of idolatry may seem less offensive, but it takes you away from the worship of the true God and is equally demonic. We must worship God and Him alone.

1 Corinthians 10:15-17

"I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."

We, who are Christians, are in an intimate relationship with Christ and with all who are His. We are connected to one another, all being members/organs/integral parts of the same body—the church. And if each of us is part of the body, then the actions of each individual reflect on the whole. If one ministers the word or gives a cup of cold water, the church takes part in it. But if one practices idolatry then the church does so as well.

If you get caught stealing, you would not think to object, “Oh, no! That wasn’t me that stole. That was my hand.” Why not? You would never give that excuse because you know it would never get by. Yes, your hand stole it, but your hand is part of your body. Therefore you stole it not just your hand. This is part of the reason why sin is such a big deal. You, as a Christian individual, reflect upon the church as a whole. What kind of reflection are you casting?

1 Corinthians 10:14

"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry."

Knowing that we are idol factories, given to sin and knowing that we do not have to sin should motivate us to flee from sin! Run away from it. Avoid it.

After I finished the last entry my mind was puzzled by the question "if we don't have to sin, why do we? Why does it seem so inescapable?" I think that this verse answers that question at least partially.

We want to sin, and wanting sin, we do not run from it. When we want it and do not run from it, even though we could have avoided it by fleeing, it traps us. Better not dabble. Better not linger. Instead, take your flight! In some battles running away may be cowardly, but here it is wise. May God give me the grace to flee from temptations to sin.

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

Lest we think that our sinfulness makes resisting temptation futile, God counters the truth of our proclivity towards sin with the truth that we do not have to sin. This second truth is both shaming and encouraging. We are shamed by the truth of this verse because it tells us that, as Christians, we never sin because "we cannot help ourselves." God never allows temptation to come our way if it is too strong for us. He knows what we can handle (which is more than we usually know), and he does not allow temptation to go beyond that level. Therefore every sin that a Christian commits, he selects to engage in it. Furthermore, none of us face a peculiar temptation that exceeds the level of temptation that is common throughout all people everywhere. It may take a different form, but essentially, it is the same sin. Others choose not to engage in it, and we do not have to indulge either.

Thankfully, the shame of our past sins, unnecessarily chosen, should give way to confident joy a resolve when we consider the faithfulness of God. He knows our limits and gives us means of escaping sin. We may have grown disconsolate, thinking there is no point. We may have failed so many times that we consider just giving up. But God tells us not to. He will never put you in a situation that is more than you are capable of handling. He is absolutely faithful in this.

1 Corinthians 10:11-12

"Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."

Desiring evil, idolatry, immorality, grumbling, and complaining—at first they seem to be a rather mixed bag, but they all have discontent at their root. We desire evil, commit immorality, and worship other gods because we do not think that our relationship with God will satisfy us. And when we grumble and complain we expose the fact that we do not like what God has given us.

We need to take notice. The Israelites had evil in their hearts and fell to sin. Most people would object. Evil in my heart? That's extreme! Surely I'm not like that. If you think that way, you need to wake up to the condition of your heart. Are you discontent with all that God has given you? Do you ever grumble or complain? Do you want to relate to God in ways that He has not condoned? If any of these things are so, you are capable of falling just like the Israelites fell. And if you do not face this fact, you almost certainly will fall.

I too must be careful. God has done wonderful things in my life and kept me from many sins. But I am still a sinner, and this thread of discontent runs deep within my heart. For me to assume that I am somehow immune or impervious to the natural tendency towards sin would be the ultimate deception and would lead me to speedy disaster. In guarding against the mistaken notion of personal strength, I must be especially aware of my need to actively find my contentment in God. When I am tempted to complain about my circumstances or seek unbiblical ways to satisfy spiritual desires, I must face the fact that I have sinned, and facing this I must repent and trust God to satisfy perfectly.

1 Corinthians 10:9-10

"We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer."

What does it mean to "put Christ to the test"? Numbers 21:5 says "the people spoke against God and against Moses" by complaining. They were not happy with where they were or what they had to eat. And God sent the serpents in response.

Grumbling and complaining—when we do it, it seems so justified, and we scarcely think of the severity of what we are doing. But by grumbling and complaining, we are saying, "I'm not happy with you God." I do not want what you have given. You don't give good gifts. Give me something better. We would probably never say that, but it is what is behind our complaint, and God knows it.